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Dieldrin uptake and translocation in plants growing in hydroponic medium
Hirotatsu Murano1, Takashi Otani, Nobuyasu Seike
1Organochemicals Division, National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, 3-1-3 Kan-nondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8604, Japan.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
|September 8, 2010
Summary
Cucurbits, like cucumbers and zucchini, absorb and transport more persistent organic pollutants, such as dieldrin, than other plants. This suggests cucurbits possess unique mechanisms for taking up hydrophobic organic chemicals.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Plant Biology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Cucurbitaceae family plants accumulate significant persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from soil.
- POPs translocation is notably higher in cucurbits compared to non-cucurbit species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dieldrin absorption and transportation mechanisms in various plant species.
- To compare the POP uptake and translocation potentials between cucurbits and non-cucurbits.
Main Methods:
- Plants including sorghum, sunflower, soybean, komatsuna, white-flowered gourd, cucumber, and zucchini were grown in a hydroponic medium containing dieldrin.
- Dieldrin content in plant shoots and roots was quantified after 10 days of exposure.
Main Results:
- All plant roots absorbed dieldrin; however, only cucurbits (white-flowered gourd, cucumber, zucchini) showed significant dieldrin accumulation in their shoots.
- Dieldrin uptake by roots correlated with n-hexane soluble components, suggesting passive adsorption.
- Higher dieldrin amounts per transpiration rate in cucurbit shoots indicate efficient translocation.
Conclusions:
- Cucurbits exhibit distinct mechanisms for absorbing and translocating hydrophobic organic chemicals like dieldrin.
- The findings suggest cucurbits may play a significant role in phytoremediation of POP-contaminated soils.
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